Wedding Cake Alternatives

Wedding Cupcakes

Wedding Cookies

Candy Glossary

Dessert Table Ideas

Dessert Table Ideas from Real Weddings

Sweet Spread

Along with a small vanilla cake, these chocolate-mousse cups, berry tartlets, and panna cottas tempted guests.

Photography: Ella Blue Studio

Framed Sweets Display

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We've rounded up our favorite dessert tables from featured real weddings, including sweets of all sorts on tables of all styles.

A large arbor framed the dessert display at this outdoor reception in Port Gamble, Washington. Embellished with another custom sign for a bit more personality, it perfectly framed the cupcakes and the stunning view of the bluff and the water below.

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Photography: Ryan Ray

Full of Favorites

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Unable to narrow down their favorite desserts, this quirky couple opted to serve them all: caramel apples, scones, baklava, pies, pastries, and donuts. The confections came from Whole Foods Market and Apple Hill or were baked by the groom's mom.

The banner above read, "These are a few of our favorite things."

Photography: Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Decadent French Desserts

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Instead of a cake, a French croquembouche was served at this city-chic wedding. Madeleines, tiny eclairs, and macarons gathered from a handful of French patisseries in New York City flanked the croquembouche.

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Pretty Pastels

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The dessert table at this Colorado Spring wedding, adorned with a pennant-flag garland and small flower arrangements, held small treats including macarons and mini pecan pies. The piece de resistance: a two- tier cake -- zucchini lime with lime curd filling, and red velvet with cream cheese filling -- created by Intriciate Icings.

Photography: Q Weddings

Hometown Delights

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An ecelctic dessert bar including sweet homemade signs featured macarons and Texas pecan pies, one of which the couple cut into instead of a traditional cake.

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Photography: Natalie Shelton

Creative Cake Display

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A two-tier vanilla cake, covered with buttercream frosting and garden roses, sat on an antique pedestal that this Texas bride purchased on Etsy.com. It was framed by vases of pincushion proteas and hydrangeas, and was just one of the sweets guests sank their teeth into. Also on offer? Berry tarts, petits fours, and dark-chocolate tortes.

A Bunted Buffet

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Fabric bunting adorned the table of treats at Joo and Jacob's wedding. Embroidery hoops fitted with patterned fabric created a fun background.

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Photography: Nicole Hill

Beribboned Buffet

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Lauren and Mike's spread of sweets was set in front of a dozens of hanging garlands in a sugary pastel palette.

Candy and Cake

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Annette and Dan stuck to a black-and-white color palette throughout their big day. They ended the night with a sugar-flower accented cake and plenty of candy.

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Candy Bar

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Old-time candies and some of the this couple's favorite sweets were set out for everyone to enjoy. Guests could even take them home by scooping the confections into muslin bags.

Retro Glam

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At Courtney and Jose's retro nuptials, they set the scene with black and white accents and a backdrop painted by a friend.

Light and Airy Sweets

Mini Pie Bar

Tiny pies and tartlets were arranged in crates lined with patterned paper at Gail and Jeremy's New York nuptials.

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Flagged Treats

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The pies at Jean and Devin's California wedding were labeled with flags created by Hello!Lucky.

French Buffet

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The wedding cake mimicked the bride's dress at Elizabeth and Stephane's wedding, and the rest of the desserts honored the bride's background as a pastry chef.

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Collegiate Confections

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A dessert bar, created by RSVP Catering, offered a melange of sweets, featuring cookies shaped in the logo of this Virgina couple's alma mater.

Tropical Treats

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For their Caribbean fete, Liz and Colin's fondant-covered cake was surrounded by glass jars of candy. Dragees, gummy grapefruit slices, Champagne bubbles, and rock candy were tasty and didn't melt in the tropical heat.

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Photography: Elizabeth Messina

A Wintery Spread

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A handpainted menu hung over Kathryn and Ryan's favorite sweet treats at their December nuptials.

Tiered Dessert Bar

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Theresa and Jon went vertical for their dessert bar, using cake stands decorated with patterned paper, and a topper made by D. Sharp.

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Chocolate Accents

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Along with wedding cake, Susan and James offered their guests petit fours, white-chocolate dipped strawberries, and other handcrafted chocolates.